By: EthicsDaily StaffBefore the deadly day in Charlottesville in the aftermath of the white supremacist rally, local clergy from various faiths had been gathering to prepare a safe space in the event of a tragedy.

By: Philip JenkinsUnlike virtually all Christian churches and denominations, Baptists are not witnessing a fundamental shift of numbers to the global south. Instead, they remain heavily concentrated in North America. But why?

By: EthicsDaily StaffThe number of U.S. Protestants who self-identify with a particular denomination has declined steadily over the past 16 years, according to a Gallup analysis, dropping from 50 percent in 2000 to 30 percent today.

By: Brian KaylorBaptists from nearly 50 nations focused on religious liberty concerns in multiple nations and elected a new general secretary, Elijah Brown, during the Baptist World Alliance's annual gathering in Thailand.

A reception in memory of Robert Parham's 26 years leading Baptist Center for Ethics / EthicsDaily.com was held June 29, 2017, during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's 2017 general assembly in Atlanta. This PowerPoint, highlighting Robert's life, work and legacy, was on display during the reception.

By: Ferrell FosterThe alt-right paints a picture of the U.S. as a white nation under attack from non-whites. It ignores that from our earliest days, the U.S. has been a place where all types of diverse people have come together.

By: Ruth GouldbourneAs we observe the 500th anniversary of the events we call the Reformation, history reminds us that our relationship to that movement is not simple and linear. Our early debates shaped who we are today.

By: David Kerrigan Are all Baptists card-carrying evangelicals? To answer that, we must first define what evangelical means. That definition means contemporary Baptist identity is at times at odds with evangelical ideology.

By: Kelly Moreland JonesEven though God is described in ways as other than male in the Bible, you rarely hear texts preached or prayers addressed to anyone other than a male God. Is that a problem or an opportunity?

By: Jesus RomeroIn these perilous times of social and political polarization, immigrants need more people who can help them find legal relief. Here's how one Christian ministry does that, standing in the gap and serving as their advocate.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMillions of children have fled their homes, either living as refugees or internally displaced as a result of South Sudan's ongoing civil war. And Baptists are ministering to these growing numbers.

By: Shane McNaryWhen national policies motivated by short-term political goals endanger the long-term moral authority of the U.S., Baptists, as U.S. citizens, must not be silent in calls for justice and freedom.

By: William CowleyA full-fledged genocide can take years, sometimes generations, to explode, but each incident of genocide probably has a small, simple beginning. Sometimes, as simple as bullying on a playground.

By: Tony PeckMore than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were massacred in Srebrenica, a province in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in July 1995. It was the worst act of genocide since World War II - and many churches remained silent.

By: Bill WhiteAfter hearing a missionary speak about food insecurity, four young girls at Christ Journey Church in Miami wanted to do something about it. Their passion led to one of the church's most vibrant ministries.

By: Bill RossEfforts by First Baptist of Marietta, Georgia, led to the creation of Pure Water Initiative Inc., a nonprofit that has so far provided drinking water to nearly 200,000 people in India, Indonesia and other nations.

By: Kevin HeadNoah, a young man in Kenya, received a life-saving operation this year. He is one of many people who were treated by short-term mission teams from First Baptist Church of Roswell, Georgia.

By: Debra WintMany wells in Ghana's frontier region were installed by outsiders and have broken down. Villagers can't repair them. Texas Baptist Men Water Ministry works with villagers to teach them how to repair these wells.

By: Angela SudermannGod has been using health professionals to advance the mission of Christ through American Baptist International Ministries since 1821. To this day, they continue to serve in health and wellness ministries worldwide.

By: EthicsDaily StaffFriends and colleagues of Robert Parham, founder and executive director of Baptist Center for Ethics, who died March 5, share their reflections on Parham's life, work, legacy and friendship.

By: Sarah StevensIn a culture that encourages and even demands self-centeredness, the church's role in teaching children to have a global and others-centered worldview is increasingly important. Here's how one church does it.

By: Don SewellI lost a great friend in Robert Parham. Attuned to injustices where many would turn a deaf ear, he applied heart-felt application to Jesus' words of "when you've done it to the least of these, you've done it unto me."

By: Gary SnowdenFor nearly a decade, First Baptist of Lee's Summit, Missouri, has held mission trips to western Guatemala, partnering with local churches to provide leadership training and provide medical care among other needs.

By: Emmanuel McCallAt a time when it was unpopular for black and whites to travel together, Robert and I became "soul partners" as we crisscrossed the nation in numerous racial reconciliation initiatives.

By: Mary SplawnA passion for food and hospitality combined at Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Alabama to make a global impact. Since 2010, women at the church have connected their love for cooking with the church's mission work.

By: Zach DawesRobert Parham was a unique combination of determined and compassionate, prophetic and pastoral. He spoke his mind about issues of great importance. He was not simply a boss and colleague; he was a friend.

By: David Emmanuel GoatleyDuring its history, the Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention has sent out many missionaries to foreign countries. Today, however, all of Lott Carey's missionary personnel are indigenous.

By: Cliff VaughnRobert Parham was not afraid. Instead, he lived into an intentional moral engagement with his culture and world, getting up each morning, Bible and newspaper in hand, to advance the common good.

By: Sue SmithIt's easy for many Americans to look at immigrants and wonder why they are here. However, if more people had the opportunity to visit immigrants' countries of origin, they would have a better understanding.

By: Martha Kate HallSince 1997, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Georgia has held March Mission Madness, in which hundreds of middle and high school students spend an entire Saturday serving in a local community.

By: Reggie WarrenPartnering with the Ghana Baptist Convention, the Baptist General Association of Virginia is working to start 500 Baptist churches and to distribute and install more than 100,000 malaria-protecting mosquito nets.

By: Jerrod HugenotAbyssinian Baptist Church is among the great congregations to rise up and minister to the urban multitudes in the history of New York City churches. One of its most visionary pastors was Adam Clayton Powell Sr.

By: EthicsDaily StaffBaptist and Catholic leaders have addressed the United Nations' Feb. 20 formal declaration of famine in South Sudan, noting government complicity in the crises plaguing the African nation.

By: Robert ParhamEthicsDaily.com's mission is straightforward: challenging people of faith to advance the common good. Rather than protest or rant, we supply moral education resources to congregational leaders and their congregations.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAmid increasing violence in South Sudan, Baptists in this African nation are ministering to refugees and internally displaced persons. The country is the world's third largest refugee crisis but receives far less attention.

By: Tim LongSince May 2016, thousands of immigrants have flocked to Tijuana, awaiting their turn to cross into the U.S. Six Baptist churches from this Mexican border town are ministering to 500 of those asylum seekers.

By: Neville CallamHardly can one identify a greater need of Baptists today than to rediscover Baptist interdependency - an interdependency that rejects cultural imperialism, paternalism and neo-colonialism.

By: Michael OkwakolI first heard of the Baptist World Alliance when I joined the staff of the Baptist Union of Uganda in 1984. Since then, I have discovered many benefits from BWA involvement. Here are a few of them.

By: Meredith StoneMy worldview was small until my seminary professors introduced me to the Baptist World Alliance's global family, where we teach each other that all folks are created in the divine image - not just Americans.

By: Robert ParhamPresident Trump issued an executive order last week that authorized the building of a 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border barrier. While he's right to protect the nation's borders, the status of 750,000 dreamers is unclear.

By: EthicsDaily StaffIn a nationwide polarized political climate, Texas lawmakers have found an issue around which they can unite: putting an end to human trafficking. An estimated 313,000 people in Texas are trafficking victims.

By: Craig SherouseThe beautiful diversity of the Baptist world family is always on display when the BWA meets. As a local church pastor for 41 years, my ministry and missional partnerships have been greatly enriched by the BWA.

By: Robert ParhamThe Bible was on display at President Trump's inauguration with passages from Psalms, Matthew and 1 Timothy. One would hope that these biblical texts shape President Trump's moral perspective.

By: Paul MsizaGrowing up during apartheid's reign in South Africa was difficult. Christianity was viewed with suspicion, and Baptists were marginalized. But then I was exposed to the Baptist World Alliance.

By: Robert ParhamProtest and prayer are divergent approaches to the inauguration. Protests express opposition. Prayers may express agreement with the new administration or be faithful to the biblical mandate to pray for leaders.

By: Daniel TrusiewiczBaptists have enjoyed freedom to preach the gospel, train leaders and carry out fruitful missionary activities in Moldova since the eastern European nation gained its freedom in 1991. Here are the stories of three of them.

By: Jim HillI have a dream that one day white Christians will have the courage to lead a nation to have an honest conversation about racism and white privilege. I have a dream that conversation will lead our nation to begin to heal.

By: Charles CheekNot long ago, neighbors gathered on front porches to freely exchange ideas to bring about change. We've lost sight of that in our isolated society. But we can gather again on the "front porch" for justice.

By: Zach DawesMany churches remain predominantly black or white, but Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us of the difference between segregated and segregating churches. MLK Jr. Day services offer an opportunity to integrate.

By: Candice LeeIt's tempting to imagine that trafficking only happens in faraway countries, but that's not the reality. The Woman's Missionary Union provides grants to respond to human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world.

By: Stacy BlackmonSome folks may feel that human trafficking is too big of a problem for them to offer any help. But individuals, small groups, even churches can play a vital role in stopping human trafficking in its tracks.

By: Robert ParhamNational Human Trafficking Awareness Day is Jan. 11, a time to draw attention to the third leading worldwide criminal industry. While there's no doubt Baptists have taken a stand, let's use this day to become further engaged.

By: Pam StricklandMany practicing Christians view pornography, which drives demand for prostitution and sex trafficking. To stop human trafficking, the church must end the demand for victims. And we must start with us.

By: Stuart BlytheWhile Baptists are committed to human rights at an official level, that commitment doesn't seem to make it into many churches - even though clear theological grounds exist for the support of human rights.

By: Duane Brooks and Jen WhittenbergMore than just football comes to town with the Super Bowl. In addition to the thousands of visitors in town for the game, there is an increased demand for commercial sex. Here's one church's response.

By: Valerie CarterUnlike sex-trafficked victims, society, including the church, does not look favorably upon those in the business of prostitution. But there's a thin line between the two, and our thinking must change.

By: Robert ParhamRetired missionaries Bill and Audrey Cowley showed courage during a time of tribal genocide in Nigeria in 1966 and built one of Africa's transformative educational institutions. They are EthicsDaily.com's Baptists of the Year.

By: Cliff VaughnBill and Audrey Cowley not only saved lives during a tribal genocide in Nigeria in 1966, they also founded Baptist High School in 1961, which emerged as a pre-eminent educational institution and remains so to this day.

By: Robert ParhamSeven columnists have shared why they support the Baptist Center for Ethics / EthicsDaily.com. Three common themes have emerged from their individual perspectives: trust, reliability and resources.

By: Zach DawesThe Baptist Center for Ethics / EthicsDaily.com hit the ground running in 2016 and didn't slow down. As the year nears its close, we look forward to continuing our efforts to advance the common good in 2017.

By: Bader MansourEveryone who grew up Southern Baptist knows Lottie Moon. A missionary to China in the 1800s, she personified the missionary spirit of Southern Baptists. But do you know the story of George Laty?

By: Robert Parham"On earth, peace" was a ridiculous announcement at Jesus' birth. Since his birth, it's been an outlandish expectation, a preposterous promise. And yet, as Christmas nears, are we trying enough?

Play "Name That Baptist," a game created by EthicsDaily.com staff for its 25th anniversary celebration in 2016. The game offers a playful review of Baptist Center for Ethics' quarter century of work by highlighting global Baptist leaders who have collaborated to help advance the common good.

By: EthicsDaily StaffHuman Rights Day will be observed on Dec. 10. The Baptist World Alliance is encouraging its members to participate in the annual observance in their worship services over that weekend.

By: Paul HobsonThe leader of the Baptist Union of Great Britain has joined other faith leaders from that nation to urge government leaders to take immediate action to deliver aid to up to 250,000 civilians in Aleppo.

By: Robert ParhamFor 25 years, the Baptist Center for Ethics has walked through doors of opportunities, often not knowing what awaited us on the other side. Now, it's your turn to walk through a door with us with your financial support.

By: Barry HowardYour church will be healthier if members are equipped to be good theologians. There are two categories of theology: folk and academic theology. Both are extremely important to the health of the church.

By: Neville CallamAs part of their commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Lutherans in Germany held a joint ecumenical remembrance with Catholics, making a serious commitment to visible unity.

By: Robert ParhamWhile Baptists have often been standoffish, one way to partner with other Christians would be for Baptists to participate in the global celebrations of the Protestant Reformation's 500th anniversary in 2017.

By: Frank ReesWhile Christians are all one in Christ, that does not mean our Christian identity does away with our differences. Difference is part of who we are because difference is part of who God is.

By: Paul HobsonBaptists in Europe and the Middle East who are involved in the response to the refugee crisis are seeing an "incredible spiritual harvest," says a member of the European Baptist Federation.

By: Robert ParhamGenocide is painfully frequent, but few churches address it. By collaborating with the Jewish community, Baptists and evangelicals may perhaps make progress preventing future genocides.

By: Jim KelseyBaptist churches are well equipped to move with freedom and flexibility in a rapidly changing world, leaving behind those things that are not core to who we are and might slow us down on our journey.

By: Mitch RandallAfter 15 years, you would assume our society has grown up regarding the relationship between Christians and Muslims. At times, the opposite seems true. We must set aside our ignorance and biases.

By: Danny ChisholmAs we approach the 15th anniversary of 9/11, it's more vital than ever for Muslims and Christians in the U.S. to work together. We can unite to improve our communities without compromising our religious views.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMore than 50,000 people have died in South Sudan's 3-year-old civil war as both sides increasingly rely on recruiting children to fight. An estimated 16,000 children have been recruited in the conflict.

By: Robert ParhamMuslim leaders are concerned about the possibility of one of their holy days coinciding with 9/11's 15th anniversary. Before that date, Christians can take proactive steps now to build bridges with their Muslim neighbors.

By: EBF StaffEuropean Baptist leaders met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, during which the president signed a decree celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in the eastern European nation.

By: Danny ChisholmMany churches are not uniform when it comes to political views. We are a tapestry of different political, social and theological positions. This political season, we must reaffirm what unifies us amid diverse views.

By: Robert ParhamWe've done the morally right things on the immigration front, but the dial hasn't moved, despite our moral critique and Bible thumping. To change the cultural ethos, we must shine the light on telling positive stories.

By: Zach DawesInteracting with global Baptists during the Baptist World Alliance's annual gathering offered two advantages: Your personal echo chamber is revealed, and you're able to expand your sense of community.

By: EthicsDaily StaffHow does a pastor 'stay fresh' after a 40-year ministry with the same church? Bill Brown, senior pastor of Syndal Baptist Church in Australia, shared his insights in a video interview with EthicsDaily.com.

By: Robert ParhamDallas Police Chief David Brown said law enforcement faces a steady barrage of criticism and urged the silent majority to stand up and show their support. Here are four ways to do just that.

By: Brian KaylorCanadian Baptists at the 2016 Baptist World Alliance annual gathering welcomed global Baptists to Vancouver, reflecting on their unique ministry heritage and context as they introduced their country.

By: Brian KaylorGlobal Baptists discussed the COP21 agreement, emphasized the reality of climate change, and urged a more robust creation care theology at a commission meeting during the 2016 BWA gathering.

By: Robert ParhamTwo national Baptists bodies took steps on refugees but had little or nothing to say about the undocumented. Both refugees and the undocumented deserve a welcome and just treatment by Christians.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMore than 65 million people were forcibly displaced by conflict in 2015, a United Nations' report says, which is nearly 6 million more than 2014. Over half of those forcibly displaced were children.

By: Brian KaylorGlobal Baptists face a growing debate over how Baptist relief and development agencies could most effectively collaborate. The issue likely will be a focal point during the BWA annual gathering.

By: Michael Helms Many Christians are threatened by U.S. pluralism pecking away at their majority status. To fight it, some Georgia Baptists are pushing for laws that benefit them, but that's liberty and justice for some.

By: Frank Broome Two visions are at work in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship family. One vision cherishes the best of what it means to be Baptist; the other wants to change the world. Both visions have value.

By: Robert ParhamThe blame-game started soon after news broke about the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando. Rather than finger pointing, one Christian path forward is looking for the fingerprint of God in others.

By: John Pierce Christian fundamentalists have a record of landing on the wrong side of equal rights and social change. A Georgia Baptist editor has peddled a fear-based argument to limit Muslims' religious freedom.

By: Tony Peck At a European Baptist Federation conference, Baptists were challenged to change their language about the arrival of thousands of refugees to Europe, viewing it not as a crisis but a blessing.

By: Robert ParhamWe're both fascinated with and fearful of an apocalyptic future. Our presidential candidates and their visions of the future reveal more about who they are than what the future will be.

By: Martin Accad Beliefs about Jesus today are diverse among Muslims. When our conversation is rooted into a robust life in the footsteps of Jesus, theological dialogue with Muslims will be strengthened and more fruitful.

By: Brian Kaylor Despite the technological and financial limitations that Cubans have faced over the last 50 years, Baptist leaders there report dramatic growth among churches over the last two decades.

By: EthicsDaily StaffA Baptist church in Kansas City, Missouri, will hold a series of 'provocative conversations' - human trafficking, racism, foster care and the future of education - and how they affect their community.

By: Jerrod HugenotWhile some Baptists claim that women should not be in church leadership, especially pastoral ministry, the truth is that without their leadership and commitment, churches would not have much left.

By: Glen MarshallEvangelism often happens best when it happens obliquely. If evangelism is always the primary motivator for everything we are, do and say, we will end up making our evangelism inauthentic.

By: Robert ParhamFragmentary experiences inform and sharpen one's understanding of the world. As the Baptist Center for Ethics' executive director for 25 years, here are a few that have expanded my view of the world.

By: EthicsDaily StaffThree nations - Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia - were at the center of the Ebola epidemic, and faith leaders have been vital in responding effectively to the crises in the West African nations.

By: Simon JonesGod often works where he's not invited or welcomed - except by those who have no other prayer but that he'll come to their aid in their distress. Just ask those, many of them Christians, in the refugee camp in France.

By: Robert ParhamPlenty of serious issues have been tackled by the Baptist Center for Ethics over the last 25 years. But as we celebrate our quarter-century anniversary, let's focus on a few lighter moments.

By: Tony PeckThis June, United Kingdom citizens will vote in a referendum on whether or not the government should continue to be part of the European Union. One Baptist leader calls on Britain to continue its partnership.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAfter shedding more than 1,000 missionaries and staff, Southern Baptists' International Mission Board president discusses the agency's future and mobilizing ordinary Christians to the mission field.

By: Baptist Union of Great BritainAs the French government demolishes homes in a makeshift refugee camp, where migrants hope to cross the English Channel into Britain, Baptists in the United Kingdom urge their government to ensure protection.

By: Neville CallamAs we seek to relate the teaching of Scripture to the vexed issues of contemporary life, we should not fail to recognize the complexity of the process by which we can hear the voice of God.

By: Robert ParhamEthicsDaily.com's forthcoming documentary has its final title: "The Disturbances," scheduled for release this fall. It is the untold story of Christian missionaries saving lives in Nigeria amid genocide there in 1966.

By: Robert ParhamIncivility and profanity are running rampant in the GOP primary season, with Donald Trump leading the pack. The same woes are surfacing on the Democratic side. Can churches help restore civility?

By: Roger OlsonSome equate "American evangelicalism" with a far right-wing political movement, but many evangelicals don't identify with or participate in the Religious Right or fundamentalist theology.

By: John WeaverA Baptist church in England has received an award to recognize its ongoing efforts to care for the environment in all areas of church life. It's one of more than 300 churches from all denominations to earn the award.

By: EthicsDaily StaffThirty-two Iowa pastors and a handful of national leaders have informed the 2016 presidential candidates that evangelical voters "are looking for a biblical approach regarding immigrants and immigration."

By: Bob NewellBorn into poverty in 1935, Elvis Presley overcame the odds to become a music legend. Many others around the globe face similar disadvantages. How can we as Christians give them opportunities to prosper?

By: Robert ParhamThe church plays a significant role in strengthening families, especially among African-Americans and Latinos, the authors of a new book said. Stronger families mean a stronger and healthier nation.

By: Paul S. FiddesFrom the beginning of their church life, Baptists thought that "walking together and watching over each other" was more than individual believers in a congregation; it involved churches watching over each other.

By: John PierceThe United States is plagued with 'ceremonial Christianity,' which baptizes national allegiance and political ideologies in the language of faith. And Jesus' teaching is lost in the process.

By: Robert ParhamMy grandfather put a small crack in the TV race barrier when he had an African-American guest on his local hunting-and-fishing show in the 1950s - a move that drew criticism from fellow church members.

By: Joe LaGuardiaWe often exercise theological gerrymandering to support our ideological beliefs about the day's most pressing issues. We must avoid any declaration that God is taking one side over the other.

By: Robert ParhamWe won't win the war against Islamic extremists with drone strikes and military firepower. Overcoming terrorism must include Christians collaborating with goodwill Muslims. Here are five reasons why.

By: EthicsDaily StaffWhat did EthicsDaily.com accomplish in 2015? To start with, more than 500 columns and around 100 news articles were published, written by more than 150 unique contributors from 23 U.S. states and nine countries.

By: Martin AccadWith the church in the Middle East on life support, the solution is not to fan fears of Islam and Muslims and develop strategies of war against them. Rather, the transformation must start from within.

By: Martin AccadThe church of the Middle East is on life support, and fingers regularly point at Islam as the cause of its demise. Under such circumstances, how do you prepare future leaders for the Arab church?

By: Robert ParhamHow should U.S. citizens in general and Baptists in particular respond to the U.S. accepting 12,000 Syrian refugees? We have two models. One serves those in great need; the other rejects them out of fear.

By: Colin HarrisThe marriage between the evangelical and political right seems to have evolved into a relationship where the power it sought is now defining that faith and its responses to issues. But there may be hope.

By: Brian KaylorSouthern Baptists' International Mission Board says it sold $18 million in overseas properties to cover missionary expenses in 2014, but that number doesn't match the agency's own 2014 audit.

By: Brian KaylorThe head of Southern Baptists' International Mission Board said the elimination of up to 800 missionary positions was necessary because of a $210 million spending deficit. But those numbers don't add up.

By: Zach DawesWhile many newspapers charge readers to access their online information, EthicsDaily.com provides free content for churches and people of faith. And we're able to do it with your financial support.

By: Sarah StoneFollowing two major earthquakes, Nepal is facing nationwide fuel shortages after more than two months of blockades along its border with India. The shortage is closing schools and affecting hospitals.

By: Ferrell FosterOthers may turn away from the suffering of refugees, but followers of Jesus can't afford such apathy. By caring for those who suffer, we're caring for Him. Jesus is a refugee, and he needs us.

By: Robert ParhamDonors to EthicsDaily.com want to know their gifts make a difference, that we're good stewards of what they entrust to us. Here are 10 tangible results you receive from your EthicsDaily.com donation.

By: Hailey BrendenResearch into gender-based violence during the Central African Republic conflict has led to the release of a powerful report with the potential to help survivors and inspire leaders to take action.

By: Paul HobsonSome 4,000 people, many of them women and children, languish in a refugee camp on France's northern coast. The threat of violence is high, a British Baptist pastor said. "They need some form of justice."

By: Robert ParhamReligious leaders have urged President Obama to declare the actions of ISIS as genocide. Church leaders can help by doing what is morally prudent and stepping up with statements and sermons about genocide.

By: Robert ParhamThe persecution of Christians is undeniable in some parts of the world. However, we water down these real hardships when we overstate what we claim is persecution of Christians in the U.S.

By: Robert ParhamThe persecution of Christians is undeniable in some parts of the world. However, we water down these real hardships when we overstate what we claim is persecution of Christians in the U.S.

By: Ircel HarrisonChurch programs come and go. Buildings often become a burden rather than a resource. Strategies rise and fall. But churches wanting the best return on investment should focus on people. People will endure.

By: Robert ParhamBaptist missionaries saving Nigerian lives in the '60s. Interfaith leaders support an end to world hunger. The pope visits the U.S. These are some of our better angels that surfaced last week.

By: Brian KaylorBaptists in the former Soviet-bloc nation of Georgia have divided over issues of homosexuality during the past two years. Three leaders there recently explained the controversy to EthicsDaily.com.

By: Bill WilsonDeclining receipts from churches and increasing pressure from the national Baptist body to forward a larger percentage of receipts upstream are squeezing state conventions and associations.

By: EthicsDaily StaffEnding a strike by Christian schools that began on Sept. 1, leaders of the Israeli government and the nation's Christian schools reached an agreement enabling students to return to classes.

By: Paul HobsonFifty-seven percent of people in England call themselves Christians, and one in five of those who don't is open to finding out more about Jesus after hearing Christians talk to them about their faith, a British report says.

By: Chris HallThe United Nations will vote on its Sustainable Development Goals to tackle poverty, hunger and other issues over the next 15 years. Here's why your church should support these initiatives.

By: EthicsDaily StaffChristian, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders signed a statement calling for a broad commitment to end hunger by 2030. Bread for the World released the statement signed by 67 leaders.

By: EthicsDaily StaffWith nearly a half-million immigrants arriving in Germany so far this year, one German Baptist explains why the country and its Baptist churches are so open in a new Skype interview from EthicsDaily.com.

By: Robert ParhamIf some U.S. universities get their way, "ze" and "xyr" will replace the "he" and "she" in the English language. Will replacing gender-specific pronouns for gender-neutral ones really contribute to a good society?

By: David SwartzCharles Spurgeon's commitment to evangelism and gospel-centered preaching makes him adored by today's evangelicals. Those same traits form the foundation for his staunch Christian pacifism.

By: Paul HobsonFollowing Britain's prime minister describing migrants as a "swarm of people," leaders from several British denominations called for "a more informed and higher level of debate on the issue."

By: Robert ParhamHeading into the 25th year since the formation of the Baptist Center for Ethics is a good time to list some accomplishments and to acknowledge some shortcomings. Here are five of each.

By: Daniel TrusiewiczPoland is a nominally religious nation with 38.5 million residents. The Baptist movement is nearly 160 years old; they have more than 5,000 baptized members in 90 local congregations.

By: Robert ParhamThe Baptist World Congress was a splendid overall success, despite lower than desired attendance due to fears of Ebola and xenophobia in South Africa toward other foreign workers. Here's an overview.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMany missionaries and their agencies fall into the trap of paternalism, creating a sense of dependency in the people of less-developed regions. Here are six ways to avoid this pitfall.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAs part of its extensive coverage of the Baptist World Alliance's 2015 World Congress, held in Durban, South Africa, EthicsDaily.com staff interviewed a number of Baptists on a variety of topics.

By: Brian KaylorBaptists from around the world, meeting in Africa for the Baptist World Congress, heard updates from those in western African nations impacted by last year's Ebola epidemic, which claimed more than 11,000 lives.

By: Brian KaylorThe general secretary of the Association of Baptist Churches in Rwanda was honored during the Baptist World Congress for his human-rights efforts in the face of ethnic prejudice and genocide.

By: Brian KaylorSouth African musicians danced and sang as they welcomed Baptists from around 80 nations to the 21st Baptist World Congress in South Africa, held every five years by the Baptist World Alliance.

By: Brian KaylorAt the Baptist World Alliance's Congress, held every five years and for the first time in Africa, outgoing president John Upton reflects upon the "power of collectiveness" of global Baptists.

By: Jerrod HugenotCatholics and Baptists have both had varying levels of embrace for connecting faith and social justice. It's ultimately gratifying to see people of faith share abundance where scarcity might reign.

By: Brian CraigBefore ever undertaking a cross-cultural short-term mission experience, realize all that you don't know and do some intentional study about the people group or country where you're headed.

By: EthicsDaily StaffJoel Gregory, who will deliver the closing sermon at the Baptist World Congress in South Africa this month, discusses the global Baptist witness in the latest Skype video from EthicsDaily.com.

By: Robert ParhamU.S. Baptists raised their voices following the Charleston shooting and the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling. By contrast, few Baptist voices spoke up about the pope's encyclical on the environment.

By: Barry HowardAs you celebrate the unrivaled freedom we enjoy in the U.S., celebrate your religious liberty by exercising your freedom to worship. And respect the freedom of others to choose when or if they worship.

By: Bill WilsonThe two groups meeting separately at the hotel couldn't have been more different. Sure, the bodybuilders didn't look anything like the Baptists, but in one key way they're both very much alike.

By: Robert ParhamAfter a preview of EthicsDaily.com's documentary on the story of what missionaries did in Nigeria in 1966 amid several days of genocide that took 30,000 lives, the Twitter reaction was energizing.

By: Robert ParhamPope Francis will release his encyclical - one of the highest forms of teaching for a pope - on the environment next week. His words will wash over every other church body - even Baptists.

By: Brian KaylorA Baptist pastor from eastern Ukraine sees God at work in his country even after the destruction of his 300-member church by pro-Russian separatists when he refused to back their cause.

By: Paul HobsonThe Burundi president's announcement that he would seek a third term sparked unrest in the East African nation. More than 20 have died, 100 injured, 600 arrested and 100,000 fled the country.

By: EthicsDaily StaffMichael Okwakol, senior pastor of a Baptist church in Uganda and president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, talks about challenges for African churches in a new EthicsDaily.com Skype interview.

By: Robert ParhamWhen does provoking hatred cross the line from free speech to irresponsible speech? What the Pamela Gellers of the world do may be legally acceptable. But that doesn't make it morally right.

By: Robert ParhamThe church faces many disagreements over social issues, worship, theology and structure, but one area of agreement appears to be the need to treat the stranger with kindness and justice.

By: Greg MamulaAre Baptist churches part of a denomination? Or is a confederation a more precise term? In a confederation, each church continues to remain themselves while uniting for a common purpose.

By: Fiona SpenceEd Walker wanted to do something about Britain's homeless so he and his wife bought a house and rented it out to an ex-offender who had been living in a hostel. And Hope into Action was born.

By: Robert ParhamGenocide needs to be part of the moral agenda of churches. The church is a global network with boots on the ground almost everywhere. Perhaps the church could be the first fire alarm to stop genocide.

By: Zach DawesReligion can and should play a role in shaping society, but it should do so by offering a moral compass through public witness that retains a distinction and distance from politicians and parties.

By: EthicsDaily StaffTwo EthicsDaily.com documentaries - "Through The Door," a look at the faith community's engagement with prisons, and "Beneath the Skin: Baptists and Racism," will air on TV networks in March.

By: Bill WilsonMore than just a basketball coach, Dean Smith was an active layman at his Baptist church and took his faith very seriously. And years ago, he stopped by to encourage a group of boys at their RA banquet.

By: Daniel TrusiewiczAlbania in southeastern Europe regained its independence and opened its doors to Christian missionaries in 1991. Today, about 160 evangelical churches exist, including eight Baptist congregations.

By: Robert ParhamBryant Durham was one of at least 12 Southern Baptist missionaries in eastern Nigeria after that region declared independence in 1966. His dissertation chronicles the Christian relief effort during the genocide.

By: EthicsDaily StaffAbout 100 people attended an event in Texas focused on ending human trafficking. The state accounts for almost 14 percent of all calls received by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.

By: Stephen HolmesIn their beginnings, Baptists did away with traditional distinctions of Christian life. Rather than being seen as discarding the religious life, it was more accurately an abandonment of secular life.

By: Brian KaylorStanding in the city cemetery in Guatemala City, a contradictory mix of life and death covers the landscape. A nearby ministry started by a Guatemala Baptist leader seeks to tip the balance toward life.

By: Eron HenryAbout 80 churches with some 11,000 members make up the Union of Baptist Churches in the Netherlands. As Baptists migrate throughout the nation, church leaders seek to expand their missional focus.

By: Paul HobsonBoko Haram, a jihadist group seeking to establish Sharia law in Nigeria, carried out a massacre in the west African nation's northeastern region. And a Baptist leader there says the world merely watches.

By: Robert ParhamThe Catholic Church appears to be ready to take on climate change in an energetic way, putting them at odds with the anemic response from the U.S. Protestant community. Let civility prevail.

By: Neville CallamWhen Baptists from around the world gather is South Africa in July for the Baptist World Congress, they'll find a continent of Baptists already spreading the Good News among fellow Africans and beyond their shores.

By: Martin AccadIslam is like a diamond that has collected dust and needs to be cleaned up, said a spokesman for the American Muslim community. In what ways can Christians help? Or will we throw stones?

By: Brian KaylorLeaders of a Cuban Baptist group praised the news that the U.S. and Cuban leaders have announced a historic shift in relations between the two nations after a strained 50-year relationship.

By: Robert ParhamLaura Hillenbrand, author of "Unbroken," organized her life around her brilliant storytelling skills. Martin Luther King Jr. organized his life around helping others. For 2015, what will you organize your life around?

By: EthicsDaily StaffBeloved Baptist leader Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler died on Jan. 2. Always loyal to her institution and a tireless advocate for missions, she challenged Southern Baptists to engage social issues.

By: Robert ParhamRepresenting how a number of goodwill Baptists have responded to the swelling refugee crises and the devastating disease of Ebola, Don Sewell is EthicsDaily.com's pick as Baptist of the Year for 2014.

By: Robert ParhamLeaders of the world's major religions gathered recently at the Vatican to show their united commitment to ending "modern slavery." It's an issue around which many rank-and-file churches can collaborate.

By: Robert ParhamBaptists must reclaim our heritage as human rights advocates. We can help church members know that history by observing Human Rights Day in December and know how human rights is Jesus' agenda.

By: Robert ParhamPolitical power has shifted. Will it lead to more partisan fragmentation, public frustration and government failure? Or will both parties seek collaborative effort and the common good?

By: Rupen DasSyria occupied Lebanon for 20 years. The memory still burns in many Lebanese families. But when Syrian refugees cascaded into Lebanon to flee their nation's civil unrest, Lebanese churches had to make a choice.

By: Elizabeth Evans HaganWe live in a Christian society and don't face the level of persecution that Paul faced. But we can stand up to hate against our Muslim neighbors, just like these Oklahoma University students did.

By: EthicsDaily StaffA new Islamic document aims to keep Muslim youths from falling victim to misunderstandings of Islam perpetuated by ISIS. Sayyid Syeed has the details in a new Skype interview from EthicsDaily.com.

By: Darren BlaneyThe Bible isn't concerned about churches being led by charismatic leaders sharing the vision and achieving goals. Its focus is on godly men and women helping others become godly men and women.

By: Robert ParhamGiven the global growth and dynamism of evangelical and Pentecostal communities, it's vital to double up our efforts to engage them in climate change. Here are seven biblical words for those conversations.

By: Leroy SeatIn spite of many difficulties during his presidency, Jimmy Carter is our best ex-president in terms of public service and contributions to world peace and justice. He celebrates his 90th birthday today.

By: Pat TookFor a church to achieve unity, or be of "one mind," it doesn't require seeing eye-to-eye on all issues. Rather, churches should be filled with dissident voices struggling to find God's way together.

By: Zach DawesFaced with declining attendance and budgets, churches must seek a new way to live out evangelism that doesn't rely on the "if you build it, they will come" mindset. The early church can guide us.

By: Robert ParhamWe often hear calls for "macro-justice"—sweeping actions for social change to correct wrongs. Frankly, we need more micro-justice initiatives for social change and less macro-justice rhetoric.

By: Courtney Pace LyonsPrathia Hall faced many obstacles in her life but didn't let them discourager her. She was a civil rights activist, Baptist preacher and a mentor to more than 200 African-American clergywomen.

By: Sam ChaiseReligious freedom, where individuals are free to choose their religion, is on the decline in North America and Western Europe, shifting from pluralism to secularism, which favors the lack of religion.

By: Robert ParhamLaughter is missing in much of the Christian community, even though the biblical witness has encouraging words about laughter. As good as laughter is for the soul, we laugh too little.

By: Robert ParhamThe cultural narrative that building prisons builds up the local economy doesn't appear to apply to Alabama's Pickens County. That's just one finding uncovered during a trip to the South.

By: Robert ParhamThe Baptist World Alliance pivoted to Sub-Saharan Africa at its annual gathering in Turkey, with the election of a new president from Africa and plans for the 2015 World Baptist Congress in South Africa.

By: Robert ParhamWitnessing for peace through tweets and prayers might seem an anemic alternative to the hard power of missiles and military budgets, yet Jesus chose such "anemia" with his message of peace.

By: Brian KaylorBaptists from Israel, Syria and Iraq explained at a BWA forum how they live as a minority group in their nations and shared their efforts to build bridges with their non-Christian neighbors.

By: Robert ParhamMore than 37,000 children--most without accompanying parents--have crossed the border this year. It's a humanitarian calamity, a political debacle and a moral challenge for the Christian community.

By: Robert ParhamHaving spent $1.7 trillion in war costs in Iraq, not counting the long-term veteran care, is it right to go into this war? The eight Just War principles give us some nonpartisan guidance.

By: Robert ParhamEthicsDaily.com is more intentionally providing faith content for TV. We hope that TV will increase the use of our documentaries in churches as tools for moral education and engagement.

By: Joe LaGuardiaEven though some haven't welcomed women in ministry in recent years, women have been included in leadership in Baptist life since the 1600s. And they'll continue to bless the church for years to come.

By: Richard WilsonWilliam Tolbert Jr., leader of Liberia and former Baptist World Alliance president, was assassinated in 1980, but his legacy lives on through the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary's lecture series.

By: Arthur BrownIt's a Western myth that Muslims do not speak out against the violent actions of extremist adherents of their faith. Here are three Muslim leaders who condemn the abduction of 200 Nigerian girls.

By: Robert ParhamAs Alabama struggles to address its broken corrections system, a GOP state senator there said three reforms are needed to fix the nation's prison system. How will churches help in the meantime?

By: Robert ParhamAs recidivism rates go up, prisons are costing more and failing society. But they are not the only ones that are failing society. Too few churches have prioritized a commitment atop Jesus' moral agenda - prisons.

By: Brian KaylorSome Baptists have offered praise for Pope Francis, elected a year ago, despite key theological differences between Baptists and Catholics. Others dismissed him and his call for Christian unity.

By: Chris HallA Baptist Missionary Society missionary began a church in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, in 1813. Two centuries later, Cinnamon Gardens Baptist Church is thriving and sending its own missionaries.

By: EthicsDaily StaffFirst Baptist of Austin is one of the "greenest" churches in central Texas. The city of Austin awarded its Green Business Leaders Program platinum certification award to the church.

By: Richard WilsonWhen we focus on a doctrine of exclusion, Christians and Muslims miss the important opportunities to focus on common issues, such as attention to the poor and the quest for spiritual maturity.

By: Robert ParhamChristian meetings in 2014 disclose two trends. One: Predictable gatherings with the same "old" programs and speakers. The other: Passionate, content-rich events with much to celebrate and contribute.

By: Noel ErskineBefore Adoniram Judson sailed for Burma and William Carey left for India, George Liele began his mission work in Jamaica. He was the first ordained black Baptist pastor in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

By: Robert ParhamSex trafficking exploits some 21 million people globally, including 100,000 children in the U.S. While the church has said little, we can begin to reach across the aisles to make a difference.

By: Robert ParhamIf Jesus were alive today, "he would be causing havoc," said the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. The church needs to spend a lot more time considering the upside to havoc or disruptive innovation.

By: Martin AccadThe Syrian conflict has provoked a growing fear of Islam and Muslims among Christians in Syria, the region and, to some extent, throughout the world. Interfaith relationships can turn that around.

By: Robert ParhamThose involved in prison ministry don't draw attention to their good works. As you'll see in "Through the Door," they give thanks for the privilege to do good works that point toward the Father.

By: Naomi King WalkerQualified and called women ministers permeate every area of Baptist life, yet many still enjoy far fewer opportunities than their male counterparts. The attitudes of churches are evolving. Has yours?

By: Robert ParhamChristians need to be informed and on guard against political and ideological half-truths. One way to do so is to have multiple sources of news and information. Al Jazeera is a good start to your list.

By: Robert ParhamFrom across the theological waterfront, a number of thoughtful faith leaders and those with experience working in prisons favor restorative justice. But when will our society follow suit?

By: Robert ParhamGetting to know the other for the sake of knowing the other, rather than persuading them that they're wrong and must change, is the more Christian way. For Pope Francis, this is the "culture of encounter."

By: David StrattonThe U.S. reveres not merely religious toleration but religious liberty for all. Unlike other nations, violence in the name of religion is nearly nonexistent. So why are we so silent about our success?

After months of deliberation – and vacillation – the deadline is upon us to put a title on EthicsDaily.com's documentary on prisons and faith. As the editing process draws to a close, it's time to decide.

Many conservative people of faith are involved in prison ministry. But they're far less concerned about where to place the blame than what to do that makes a difference to offenders and their families.

A forthright critique of Obama's plan to limit tax deductions on charitable giving is now required. Charitable giving is fundamental to tens of thousands of houses of faith and their many institutions.

The Southern Baptist Convention may elect its first African-American president this year. It would be a powerful symbol, but will the SBC's white power structure allow that symbol to lead to transformation?

When Southern Baptists withdrew from the Baptist World Alliance eight years ago, SBC leaders issued a series of false accusations. Any reconciliation must begin with the SBC's confession of wrongdoing.

The only evangelical church in one of the most fiercely Muslim areas of the world is under severe pressure and may close its doors without support from Western Christians, the founder of Open Doors said.

A new short video from EthicsDaily.com will be broadcast at this week's New Baptist Covenant 2, noting that some Baptists have watered down and spiritualized Jesus' agenda while others have been bolder.

A Southern Baptist pastor's attack on Mitt Romney's Mormon faith is the latest effort by conservative Christians to sway the 2012 presidential election. But they err when they hint that they speak for God.

One version of Christianity preaches that capitalism is God's divine economic plan. Its followers must ignore the biblical message that warns against marketplace corruption and economic power that exploits the poor.

Some GOP presidential hopefuls seem to be waging a war on public education, sending dog-whistle messages to the Christian Right that they can count on them to support the teaching of creationism in science classes.

The Circle of Protection says budget cuts shouldn't be made on the poor's backs. Christians for a Sustainable Economy says our focus should be on the economy. Which one reflects the authentic Christian message?

A Baptist church in Lebanon is supporting hundreds of families, mostly women and children, who have fled Syria following the nation's harsh crackdown on demonstrators calling for freedom and democracy.

With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 falling on a Sunday, churches will have an ideal opportunity to frame the issue from a faith perspective in a culture saturated with conflicting messages and opportunism.

Two GOP leaders – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Sen. John McCain – bluntly labeled the rhetoric of extremists as "crazy" and "bizarro." They understand that extremist talk contaminates society.

Most Christians rightly shudder at the identification of the Norwegian terrorist as a Christian. Yet U.S. Christians don't shudder at the political advocacy of Christian leaders who ignore Jesus' moral vision.

The world's newest nation, South Sudan, was born last weekend, and Christianity played a role. Prayers of global Christians, a 2005 peace accord and a team of international observers that included Jimmy Carter all helped.

Obesity isn't a laughing matter, an issue to be set aside with dismissive excuses that some folk like to eat fried food. And it's most dramatic in the South – home to nine of the 10 states with the highest rates of adult obesity.

After Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley signed the nation's harshest immigration bill into law, goodwill leaders of faith began to voice opposition. It's time for faith leaders to break the defective tradition of being reactive.

The Ministers and Missionaries Benefit Board presented its first Century of Service Leadership Award to Robert Parham, executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics and executive editor of EthicsDaily.com.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, a leader at his Baptist church, signed one of the nation’s harshest anti-immigration law. With the Bible’s call to protect the stranger, one might wonder what god the governor serves.

Plotting their strategy to defeat President Obama, about 80 pastors and other conservative Christian leaders held a closed-door meeting this week to discuss the need for spiritual and political change in the nation.

Obesity is a real problem; more than 20 percent of preschoolers are obese or overweight. But the issue is complicated by deep disagreements rooted in conflicting ideologies and vested corporate interests.

As scientists gather data to determine whether the recent crop of tornadoes are an outgrowth of climate change, will evangelical leaders be willing to listen to the answer or continue their hostility against science?

British Baptists met for their annual assembly, kicking off a weekend of thoughtful sermons and prayers for mission personnel. They also commissioned the army's chaplain-general, the first Baptist to hold the post.

Using "illegals" or "illegal immigrants" to describe unauthorized or undocumented immigrants paints them as criminals. The terms are regularly used by media and are an attempt to stereotype the undocumented.

As patriotic triumphalism swept the country, ordinary Americans shot off fireworks, political leaders issued victory statements and newspaper headlines announced pride in national success. (White House photo by Pete Souza)

Evangelist Franklin Graham blessed a Donald Trump presidential bid on Easter but has yet to criticize Trump for his F-bomb outburst a few days later. He further questioned Obama's faith but is silent about Trump's.

Since President Obama and his family visited a Baptist church on Easter and Fox News later aired a tape of the church's pastor, the church has received more than 100 threatening e-mails, faxes and phone calls.

How do you learn the three-step tango to introducing anti-Shariah bills? Fabricate facts. Testify to threats. Take a stand against problems that don't exist. Lawmakers in as many as 13 states have performed the dance.

Is the Christian left giving President Obama a pass on his promises to end the nation's wars and remaining mostly mute as he expands our military involvement in Afghanistan and now Libya? The question merits reflection.

The Baptist Center for Ethics – the parent organization of EthicsDaily.com – observes its 20th anniversary this year, challenging a religious myth that only conservative evangelicals can build vigorous organizations.

Young adults who regularly attend religious services are more likely to become obese by middle age, says a recent study. Obesity is more than poor personal choices. It's a social justice issue and a spiritual matter.

General Electric avoided paying federal taxes while raking in billions in profits. It's a story that's received major media coverage, except on "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams." GE is NBC's parent company.

With 975 employees in its tax department and spending more than $200 million to lobby Congress for favorable treatment, General Electric lets taxpayers foot the bill while it rakes in profits and avoids taxes.

President Barack Obama has bypassed the time-honored rules of just war for a second time. While the rules are useful tools for moral discernment, too often presidents itching for military conflict neglect them.

Of the dozen state lawmakers identified in a Southern Poverty Law Center report for their radical-right beliefs on immigration, conspiratorial attitudes and involvement with hate groups, four were Southern Baptists.

U.S. Rep. Peter King's hearings on the "radicalization of American Muslims" are only the latest Christian-Muslim flare-ups. To break this pattern of demonization, goodwill faith leaders must choose to be proactive.

Members of a British Baptist church faced 10-hour days in primitive conditions as they helped cook for tens of thousands of refugees, who have been pouring across Libya's border to escape the fighting.

Global Baptists have provided financial aid and are assisting with relief and rescue efforts after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami. They have responded to earthquakes in four other nations over the last 14 months.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators proposed a plan of shared sacrifice to get the nation's deficit under control by raising taxes and reducing the growth of entitlements, triggering a temper-tantrum from right-wing bloggers.

A Baptist pastor who came to America as a child may be sent back to Mexico because of U.S. immigration policy. His story illustrates the complexity and absurdity of America's seemingly unfixable immigration impasse.

Evangelicals don't really care about the world's impoverished. They want the federal government to cut back on economic assistance to the poor, and their churches don't give two cents about the world's hungry.

A Baptist pastor in Cuba said he is stepping down from his church position because of prolonged government pressure and threats made against the church. Other Baptist pastors face similar situations, he warned.

Bills have been introduced in at least 10 states that would require presidential candidates to supply proof that they are natural-born Americans. Are conservative Christian politicians fueling the "birther" movement?

With a record-setting January of more than 840,000 pages read, "a thousand fathers and mothers" can rightly claim credit for the growing readership that turns to EthicsDaily.com's biblically grounded and centrist perspective.

Juan Pedro, a 17-year-old migrant, tried once before to cross the border, and now he was trying again. He hoped to find work – any type of work. Instead, he was deported. Hundreds of others die in the unforgiving desert.

Goodwill faith leaders must sound the alarm and put taxation on the moral agenda of houses of faith. To continue avoiding the topic and denying the good that derives from a just tax system is morally irresponsible.

“Baptist” is not necessarily a name our spiritual forefathers chose for themselves. It was given to them by those who observed their behavior, didn’t like it very much, and chose the name as a form of ridicule.

The statements and actions of a few have consequences on the entire community. Let's encourage leaders who speak for less heated, self-righteous rhetoric and for more statements based on truth and care for neighbor.

When facing troubling days, when standing at the crossroads, the biblical witness urges God's people to remember, and walk in, the ancient ways. Make a commitment in an uncertain future to walk those ways faithfully.

One of Tanzania's sharpest contrasts is between the lack of mosquito nets and the abundance of cell phones. One kills malaria-bearing mosquitoes; the other allows instant contact across the immense east African nation.

During a Muslim-Baptist mission trip to provide mosquito-repellent nets in one of the world's poorer nations, a young Muslim mother received the 100,000th net distributed by a Baptist-led organization.

Two Baptists and a Muslim left behind Oklahoma's infectious fear of Islam to combat the infectious disease of malaria in Tanzania, demonstrating that different faiths can work together to meet human needs.

Active people of faith support lots of good, nonprofit causes. Here are five reasons why goodwill Baptists and others ought to support EthicsDaily.com through its parent organization, the Baptist Center for Ethics.

The biblical testimony has a clear word in favor of the poor. But too many people of faith negotiate away the biblical imperative to protect the poor in favor of the materialistic imperative to protect the rich.

EthicsDaily.com succeeds because it provides a place for goodwill people of faith to address a variety of issues mostly from a biblical vantage point and always out of a desire to advance the common good.

Based on the 160 ballot measures in 37 states during the midterm elections, what can one conclude about the moral state of America? Despite the media narrative, we disagree on a number of social and moral issues.

With every GOP leader preaching tax cuts, one Republican sounds like John the Baptist in the wilderness. His words affirm that Americans are in a dream world about cutting taxes. And we had better wake up.

EthicsDaily.com had a record-smashing month in October. What caused our readership to skyrocket? One reason is that we address timely issues from a centrist moral perspective that is rooted in the biblical witness.

Few Tea Party adherents think global warming is a problem, and most GOP Senate candidates in heated races expressed doubts about the science of climate change. Scientific certitude is no match for ideological absurdity.

Who would have imagined that one of the world's most holy rivers would be so defiled that an environmental group would call for a halt to baptisms there for health reasons? The Jordan River isn't what we think it is.

Jimmy Carter led a planning meeting for next year's New Baptist Covenant, which will provide opportunities to form friendships, cooperate across denominational trenches and give witness to the best of the Baptist tradition.

People have done some terrible things in the name of Christianity, but other religions have done worse. At least that's the reasoning some have used to defend their faith. But is that really how we want to argue for Christianity?

Taking a "step toward peace," some 300 people, including about one third of them coming from Memphis' Muslim community, attended a screening of "Different Books, Common Word" at First Baptist of Memphis.

Will you and your church be part of 100 million Christians praying on Oct. 10, 2010, for a "fresh vision" that will result in freeing a half-billion people from extreme poverty? It's part of the vision of the Micah Challenge.

First Baptist Church of Memphis is breaking new cultural ground with its sponsorship of a citywide screening of EthicsDaily.com's documentary about how U.S. Baptists and Muslims are engaged in interfaith dialogue and action.

American Christians are living in a divisive time of profound paranoia and deliberate deception – much of it advanced by Christian politicians, those the prophet Ezekiel might identify as the false shepherds.

In the midst of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, 29 U.S. Christian leaders believe that religion can be a force for peace. It is a moral imperative too often rejected by other U.S. Christian leaders.

A Southern Baptist pastor from Tennessee burned a copy of the Quran on Saturday, claiming "it's about love." Meanwhile, a Southern Baptist church in Kentucky honored different faith traditions' sacred texts at an interfaith service.

After Gen. Petraeus said a church's plan to burn the Quran would endanger U.S. soldiers, conservative religionists started lining up in opposition to the church. Of course, that's after they had stoked the fires of Islamic fear.

The Texas politicians who alleged an international conspiracy of "terror babies" are Southern Baptist. Far too many conservative Christians have such fringe conspiratorial views, making decisions based on fear instead of facts.

Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the most influential U.S. theologians, didn't succumb to simplistic responses to complex problems. By contrast, many today favor a religious flag-waving that hits certain hot-button moral issues.

No amount of Bible reading, sermons masquerading as prayers and Christian hymns can cover up Fox News host Glenn Beck's civil religion that slides back and forth between authentic faith and patriotic religion.

Many Baptists have watered down Jesus, severing his agenda for social justice from Christian faith. How do we counteract the ideological gloss on the biblical witness used to justify a laissez-faire economic system?

Charged with "visioning the missional and organizational future" of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the CBF's 2012 Task Force will soon begin the urgent work of re-envisioning and adopting a new roadmap for the future.

Some 4,000 Baptists studied two verses in Luke 4 during the Baptist World Congress in Honolulu. Will the seeming insignificance of a few leaders in Bible study bring significant change for millions of others?

Novelist Anne Rice has rejected Christianity but claims allegiance to Christ. She wants a Christ in whom she can pour her own definition. She vaults individualism above community – an expression of self-centered religion.

Challenge the prevailing narrative of the Western world that Islam and Christianity are at war, people from both faiths support and respect each other in Yendi, a city in Ghana where at least 80 percent of the population is Muslim.

Paying attention to nature was not part of the faith tradition or secular education of Helle Liht, who grew up Baptist and in a country under Soviet Union domination. It wasn't until she was an adult that she saw the connection.

While Baptists have a rich 400-year history, it's important to reflect on our future – as individuals and as communities. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, if we don't know where we're going, we might not get there.

Sharing their concerns about the vilification of Muslims by Christians, two Baptists mapped out ways for constructive engagement between the world's two largest faith groups during a Baptist World Alliance focus group.

David Coffey reflects on his BWA presidency as his term draws to a close. In the second part of an interview with EthicsDaily.com, he discusses his part in fostering interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

David Coffey showed courage and demonstrated wisdom during his presidential tenure of the Baptist World Alliance. As his term draws to a close, he reflected on his service in an EthicsDaily.com interview.

What do the younger generation of Baptists think about where we are headed? While no Baptist speaks for another, these voices of influence will be among those who will one day define what it means to be Baptist.

Some Baptists have a distorted reverence for guns. They see protection in faith and a firearm. For these Baptists, the church is a mighty fortress – fully armed. Other Baptists have a more realistic approach.

The recent horrific downpours in America and around the world were not isolated events. Global warming sets the table for these intense downpours. People of faith must urge elected officials to take action.

Baptists in Great Britain were among those honored recently in the Queen's Birthday Honors list. They include a former president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain as well as a teacher retiring after 29 years of service.

At EthicsDaily.com's luncheon during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Assembly, three individuals described how they built relational bridges over the cultural minefield of Christian-Muslim tensions.

Rather than listen to the biblical heroes of freedom and justice, anti-immigration forces have embraced two of the darkest biblical figures – Pharaoh and Herod – who targeted children to pursue their fear-laden political objectives.

Has the SBC pivoted away from its position over the past 20 years of fidelity to angry fundamentalist leaders and faithfulness to the political right? Are the results of the SBC's annual meeting an aberration or a new positive trend?

What was it that movie star Denzel Washington saw in our documentary, "Different Books, Common Word," that struck him so sharply that he tied it to his movie, "The Book of Eli"? It was the power of the Bible.

Bad religion reverses the biblical imperative to protect the powerless in favor of guarding the powerful. And some conservative Christians are shielding BP from criticism by blaming every conceivable source – even God.

Six weeks after oil began gushing into the Gulf, the U.S. faces what appears to be its worst man-made ecological disaster. And three moral transgressions – greed, sloth and pride – manifest themselves in BP's disaster.

One persistent falsehood is that Islam is by definition a violent religion. Call it the Franklin Graham Falsehood. He also claimed that he's "not heard one Islamic leader" condemn 9/11, but he clearly hasn't done his research.

After leaving the White House, President Jimmy Carter decided to put his faith and his political visibility to work in the cause of justice, promoting democracy in places no one dreamed democracy was even possible.

Jimmy Carter made being "born again" a campaign issue in 1976, vowing that his faith would help him govern. In the aftermath of Watergate, the American people were looking for someone they could trust.

Good Baptist historians stick their necks out for the common good and offer a relevant moral witness when it counts. They're more interested in strengthening the prophetic voice than offering soothing sermons.

Speaking up for tax increases for public education is the right and hard thing to do. If the conservative state of Arizona can do it, then other states can do it – no matter how loudly the conservative forces of "no we can't" yell.

If Elena Kagan is confirmed as the next Supreme Court justice, the court will have no Protestants. While that may not matter constitutionally, it seems to matter culturally for any number of commentators.

Missing from criticism about the final report of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force, intended to reorganize the stagnant Southern Baptist Convention, is concern about the statement's anti-public school agenda.

Anxiety and abundance were two themes that emerged during a retreat of organizational leaders related to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Baptists should rejoice at the challenges and prioritize the opportunities.

The U.S. Army made the right decision to prohibit Franklin Graham from speaking at a prayer event in May at the Pentagon. The prohibition resulted from Graham's continuous hostile and insulting statements about Islam.

Do recent record-setting high temps across the U.S. prove global warming? Not so fast. Weather and climate are different. We must be careful to not use the same faulty logic that global-warming deniers used in the winter.

Five years ago, the news was indescribably good. After a month on Vanderbilt Medical Center's oncology floor, it was time to be released. I packed my bag and waited – and waited some more – until finally I was home.

Conservative columnist Cal Thomas wrote that the sexual scandals in Catholicism and Protestantism were different, but Catholic and Baptist leaders have more similarities than differences on the child-abuse front.

Unable or unwilling to create a fair and just tax system to provide for public services like education and health care, states have embraced the lottery as an alternative source of revenue. But it's a form of public tax evasion.

A steady drumbeat of anti-government rhetoric repeats the same charge – Washington is not listening. One purpose of this mantra: To validate public displays of anger and to justify anti-government protests.

As Baptist and Muslim leaders, including Sayyid Syeed with the Islamic Society of North America, lamented the Nigerian conflict, most Baptists in North America know little about the clashes. (Photo: EthicsDaily.com)

We've debated heath care reform long enough. While neither side has handled well either the content of health care reform or the process, the choice for people of faith is clear. It's time to pass health care reform.

Conservative Texans have been recreating reality, replacing the time-honored concept that "the truth will set you free" for the dishonorable practice of fudging facts to fit a fictional fantasy upon which to frame the future.

No doubt, the extreme right is a contributing factor to the surge of political hate in our nation. Yet goodwill people of faith need to consider what we can do to advance the common good without creating even more anger.

Many goodwill Christians favor freedom of religion and oppose witnessing that is manipulative and coercive. Regrettably, other Baptists think their work is so important that they can be secretive and covert.

Baptists have too often emphasized individualism – an it's-me-and-Jesus attitude – over community. But there are good reasons to be connected to others as part of our Christian life. Here are five of them.

"Different Books, Common Word" can be an important vehicle for social change on the local level where Islamic centers and Baptist congregations can get together to screen the documentary and discuss it.

Wayne Flynt is known as the conscience of Alabama. Author of two books nominated for Pulitzer Prizes and founder of the Alabama Poverty Project, he also teaches Sunday school at First Baptist of Auburn, Ala.

While most of the attention of the earthquake in Haiti has focused on Port-au-Prince, many throughout the country are suffering. One church network has been providing assistance to help with the ongoing crisis.

If Sarah Palin drew the lion's share of the media attention at the recent National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, a Revolutionary War re-enactor may be the runner-up. Here's something you may not know about him.

Forty days focused on Lent might be just what we – wealthy and powerful global Baptists – need to reconnect with a more robust faith that remembers those who suffer from poverty, injustice and violence.

Humans are more than economic puppets. As Christians, we are called to see others as equals who deserve good and just treatment. When the prevailing economic system fails, it must be challenged and changed.

Faithful Oregonians ran with perseverance the race for justice, passing ballot measures that will avert a shortfall in the state's two-year budget that would have resulted in cuts to services affecting the poor and middle class.

EthicsDaily.com's documentary, "Different Books, Common Word," airing on ABC-TV stations across the country, is generating positive dialogue about the relationship between goodwill Baptists and Muslims.

Reinforcing a perception that American Christianity has a crusade against Muslims, a corporation inscribes biblical references on the sights of its rifles and has a contract to provide 800,000 sights to the Marines.

Most goodwill Christians have written, spoken and preached too little about taxes, yet taxation is foundational for almost every social justice cause. It's time for a lot more biblical, theological and moral reflection about taxes.

During filming of "Different Books, Common Word," many couldn't believe Baptists and Muslims could have any sort of relationship. Their disbelief didn't grow in a vacuum. It was cultivated by extremism of word and deed.

The Baptist-Muslim engagement was the most unanticipated and underreported religion story of 2009. And EthicsDaily.com's new documentary examines five stories that will shed light on that relationship.

A small Baptist college in Georgia will require faculty to express public allegiance to the Southern Baptist doctrinal statement, reinforcing how Southern Baptist education has changed to be more about isolation and indoctrination.

Some Christians want us to distance ourselves from Muslims, falsely claiming the actions of extremists define Islam. Yet these same critics consider Christian extremists to be the exceptions of their own faith.

With gritty determination and undeniable dignity, Emmanuel McCall has worked constructively in the white Baptist power structure to advance racial reconciliation. He's EthicsDaily.com's Baptist of the Year for 2009.

EthicsDaily.com's new documentary, "Different Books, Common Word: Baptists and Muslims," has been picked up by more than 60 ABC stations across the country for broadcast beginning in January. And more will follow.

In Clint Eastwood's new movie, "Invictus," the director returns to the theme of forgiveness. During this Christmas so full of cultural bile, "Invictus" has some powerful lines that American Christians need to hear.

Too many American Christians are like Will Ferrell's character, Ricky Bobby, in "Talladega Nights." They adore the little baby Jesus of Christmas but pay no heed to the man who makes moral claims on people of faith.

A recent EthicsDaily.com editorial cautioned against Obama's Afghan war plan, echoing our concern eight years ago when Bush made his case for war there. Will you be reading a similar editorial in 2017?

President Obama told the nation last night that his strategy in Afghanistan is to make more war in order to end the war. But he never satisfactorily assured the nation of the probability of such success.

Charles Darwin was center stage recently, celebrated by some and condemned by others. What triggered the public brawl? It's the 200th anniversary of his birth and the 150th of "On the Origin of Species."

Verbal grenades have been launched once again in the Christmas wars. Caught in the crossfire are Americans of all religious convictions and no faith commitments who want to enjoy the season without a culture war.

The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina voted last week to deny churches the opportunity to give through the convention to the Baptist Center for Ethics, thereby ending an almost 20-year partnership.

The Christian Coalition joined the National Wildlife Federation in urging the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that will address constructively climate change. The Coalition's commitment to addressing climate change is a ray of hope.

Some have attempted to sabotage health care reform with the canard of "death panels," but making decisions about the end of life makes more sense when the living can discern their choices with their family doctors.

So the next time you’re at a party and you’re asked what Baptists believe, don’t be calling me on your cell phone for a review! Just remember the four fragile freedoms—Bible freedom, Soul freedom, Church freedom, and Religious freedom—and you’ll be fine.

In a wide-ranging interview with EthicsDaily.com, the new president of the National Baptist Convention offered a moral critique of the prosperity gospel, race relations, Rush Limbaugh, taxation and health-care reform.

Andy Schlafly is behind the Conservative Bible Project that aims to remove the alleged liberal corruption from English translations of the Bible. He sees the Bible as a mirror, reflecting his own political image.

No, Baptists aren’t the only freedom-loving people in the world. But thanks to their efforts, millions of people here and abroad enjoy freedom of conscience when it comes to religion. No elected official, no ordained minister controls what we believe, or what we do about church, if anything. And that, my friends, is a very big deal!

Christians are getting tattoos and talking about them. Some talk is negative. Some is positive. Some is satirical. At least, the faith community is talking about tattoos – even if not all the conversation is civil.

A Southern Baptist leader evoked images of Hitler and the Holocaust to thwart health-care reform. It is a brutal insult both to the victims and survivors of that Holocaust. His handlers should silence him.

Eight years ago, religion was misused to validate violence. Today, Christian and Muslim leaders are seeking common ground around the common word found in both their faith traditions – love for neighbor.

A GOP senator has again parted ways from the Republican right, the Birthers and conservative cable TV and radio hosts. If only more refused to be silent or bullied by the Christian right and its allies.

Washington, DC (BWA) --Baptist World Aid (BWAid), the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), is coordinating relief efforts to the Philippines and Indonesia after these countries were badly affected by a typhoon and earthquakes, respectively.

Jody Powell, part of Jimmy Carter's "Georgia Mafia," died Sept. 14. Many Southerners identified with them, just like many black Americans today identify with Obama. Others don't like leaders who are different.

And if you are not already thoroughly confused, followers of Dutch theologian Joseph Arminius muddy the water still more. Arminians whole-heartedly agree with Calvin that we are incapable of saving ourselves. We don’t choose God. God chooses us. However, say Arminians, for God’s choice to finally make a difference, we must respond to God’s grace. In other words, God makes the first move (prevenient grace) but he can’t save us by himself. At some point, we have to cooperate (cooperative grace) with God by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Even though God chooses us to be his own, we have the freedom to resist his grace and say, “No. I’d rather be in Hell.”

Coming, perhaps, to a sanctuary near your home is a new version of the Bible, one released by the National Rifle Association, updating time-honored texts in words more reasonable for today's gun owners.

Right-wing conspiracy theorists and political opportunists have argued that Barack Obama isn't president because he's not a natural born U.S. citizen. A Baptist congressman is the latest to join the act.

The Islamic Society of North America is appalled at news of the riots in Gojra, Pakistan, in which several homes belonging to members of the Christian community were destroyed and about seven people were killed.

This time, they did. But God does not guarantee Ezekiel or Frank or anyone else that people will listen. That’s not our worry. God says, speak anyway.

So, a little humility, weak and wobbly ones of God. It’s not all up to you. Speak anyway. Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

Thanks to Kansas State University and Forbes, Baptists and other Christians now know where we can safely go to avoid certain sins. While we may be able to map out the geography of sin, don't forget the universality of sin.

Global-warming denier Rep. Paul Broun is among the evangelical Christian politicians who adhere to a trinity of biblical literalism, free-market ideology and hostility toward science that endangers the common good.

The battle over the burqa has broken out between President Barack Obama and French President Nicholas Sarkozy. The French president's view reflects hostility toward religion while Obama displays respect for religion.

Forgetting Jesus' great commandment, conservative Christian bloggers began barking their disapproval as soon as they learned mega-church pastor Rick Warren would speak to the Islamic Society of North America.

Where do Baptists stand on baptizing children raised in same-sex households? This is one issue where all Baptists may get it right theologically. The focus is on the child being baptized, not on validating the child's parents.

President Obama's trip to predominantly Muslim nations in the Middle East holds historic promise. Every Christian can only pray that Obama's trip sows seeds that will bear fruit of a hundred-fold for peace.

Some churches have removed Baptist from their names, but others seek to reclaim the meaning of the name. Many principles of historical Baptist theology and polity offer a solid basis for citizenship in a free and diverse society.

If the Southern Baptist Convention believes that actions speak louder than words, then its action of having a program of virtually all whites and all males places a big question mark over the convention's 2009 meeting logo.

The Southern Baptist Convention's chief executive officer advocates the launch of a Christian alternative to public education. Rather than retreat from public education, however, goodwill Baptists must speak up for public schools.

The majority of Christians in the United Kingdom think attendance in their own churches will increase over the next 20 years, a survey revealed. They're less optimistic about growth of other churches in the U.K.

Like the behemoth General Motors, which was once too big to fail, the titanic SBC is taking on water, and its current leadership knows not what to do to salvage the ship. The one thing they could do is a crystal-clear biblical teaching.

President Barack Obama spoke as a public theologian in Cairo, calling for us to go beyond interfaith dialogue and to pursue interfaith service. He deserves applause from people of faith—Christians, Muslims and Jews.

The last place one would expect to meet the father of Jesus is in a Washington, D.C., office shoehorned between the Supreme Court and the Dirksen Senate Office Building. But meet him I did. And he is a Muslim.

When Churchland Baptist Church in Virginia used the "Beneath the Skin" DVD and study guide for a recent group session, it encouraged open and honest discussion that will hopefully trickle into further conversations in other settings.

An imperfect bill should not sideline people of faith from supporting "The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009." We must not allow the tyranny of moral perfectionism to block the urgency of moral realism.

The message from the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was clear: The poorest everywhere are the ones most at risk to the impacts of climate change. Will Christians be part of the solution?